


Numbers, Letters and Ships

by 20secondssince



Category: Hurts (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Football, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-08-17
Packaged: 2018-04-15 06:27:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4596351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/20secondssince/pseuds/20secondssince
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of one-shots created from prompts given on tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Theatre, Cuddling, Walshamson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam takes Paul out on, what both in their minds hope to be, a date.

’I have no idea what this film is about’ Paul said when Adam returned with their tickets. ‘More than that it’s artsy and French.’

Adam gave Paul a small smile, having asked Paul to come with him. Paul had agreed, said ‘it’s a date’, yet Adam was still walking on pins and needles and was deep in thought. Adam was woken from his thoughts by Paul who took his sweaty hand to grab his attention. ‘Did you say something?’

‘Yeah, do want some snacks or something to drink?’ the drummer insisted upon at least paying for something, and Adam finally admitted a bottle of coke would do. They were still holding hands as Paul led them towards the snacks bar and got them popcorn and drinks. ‘I don’t care how artsy this film is, every movie needs popcorn.’

Adam rolled his eyes, sipping his coke nervously. His nerves were getting to him, and even if Paul acted just like usual there was something, something, overlaying in the atmosphere and Adam couldn’t relax as he usually did with Paul. ‘Sorry I dragged you here. You can leave in the middle of it if you want to. It’s just something I thought was interesting and-‘ Adam’s rambling was cut off as Paul put a finger on his lips.

‘I said yes. Even if it’s the worst film ever, I still have something beautiful to watch.’ Paul watched Adam’s surprised expression, hoping he had done the right thing. They were friends, but there had lately been secret looks from both sides and when Adam had asked him out, Paul had decided to grab the bull by its horns and rock the boat.

Adam’s thoughts stopped but he gained some confidence at the compliment. ‘Did you just call me beautiful?’

Paul gave his signature Cheshire cat grin, his eyes lit up. ‘Of course, handsome’

‘Laying heavily on the charm tonight’ Adam joked lightly, confident in the familiarity of the banter. This was something they always did, flirted without deeper intention, but lately Adam had noticed it even more. The week before, Paul had even given him a kiss on the cheek at a night club after they had finished playing.

The doors opened and Paul offered his arm to Adam, who took it and they made their way towards their seats in the small theatre.

‘Did you see the guy in the hat?’ Paul whispered as they sat down and Adam gave him a nod. ‘Should I get one like that?’

Adam scrunched up his nose at the thought. ‘Nobody should wear fedoras. You can borrow Theo’s black hat if you have to wear something.’

Paul continued the conversation about advantages of hat attributes, Adam adding something now and then, until the lights dimmed and the curtain opened to reveal the screen.

After the opening credits, Paul took Adam’s hand. The other didn’t seem to mind, so Paul scooted closer in his seat. Paul honestly tried to follow the plot, and it was interesting until about an hour had passed and Paul had lost the plotline. The film wasn’t fully in French, but even English didn’t help as the plot really didn’t seem to move in one way or the other. That didn’t stop Paul form moving.

Adam seemed to be completely engrossed in the film, enjoying the challenge of a difficult and complex film. Paul let go of Adam’s hand and wrapped his arm around the guitarist’s shoulders instead. The gesture was clumsy, made difficult by the plush chairs and the arm rests, but Paul wanted nothing more than to cuddle up against the taller man.

Paul could even lay his head on Adam’s shoulder before Adam even seemed to realise how close Paul was. ‘Not here, Paul,’ Adam said as he shrugged Paul’s head and arm away, too engrossed in the film.

Paul felt like his world was shattered. He withdrew to his own seat, thinking over and over again about Adam’s words. He made up the worst scenarios in his head, imagining Adam reject him over and over again and only wanting to be friends. Over the duration of the film, Paul thought many times that he couldn’t take it and wanted to leave the theatre, yet he couldn’t leave Adam. Instead of leaving, Paul planned how he’d tell Adam how he couldn’t do this whole thing any longer and just be friends, if that’s what Adam wanted.

The film ended after almost three hours of obscure plot, and Adam turned back to Paul. ‘That has to be the worst film ever.’

‘You gotta be kidding me’ Paul sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes, disbelieving it took Adam so long. ‘I got that after the first ten minutes.’

‘Well I wanted to give it a chance but no way. Sorry for wasting our evening on this’ Adam rose up from his seat and they followed the faint stream of people.  
It was obvious a good portion of the audience had left before the film had finished, which made Paul smile as at least he had survived the torturous hours. ‘What now, wanna have a drink?’

‘A drink it is. You alright with going to my place?’ Adam asked was suddenly aware what his question sounded like as Paul’s pierced eyebrow rose in a cheeky way. ‘Just a drink.’

Paul accepted Adam’s offer. It was probably better not to be in public when they talked about feelings and relationships, especially as Adam was a very private person. 

They took the underground to Adam’s, still bashing the film and complaining about the plot. Even as they reached Adam’s stop, and then Adam’s door after a short walk, there was a livid debate of the most useless character to the plot. Adam still wasn’t buying Paul’s suggestion that the whole film could have only featured Kirsten Stewart and still had the same amount of emotional depth to it.

‘Make yourself at home. No shoes on the couch’ Adam said as he went to get two cans on beer from the fridge. Paul had been over to Adam’s more times that either of them could count, and was almost as big of a fixture as Adam’s guitar in the decoration.

Adam put the opened cans on the tea table and toed off his shoes so he could sling his feet up in Paul’s lap as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him to do. Paul usually didn’t mind, but after three torturous hours of doubt he couldn’t take it anymore.

Paul took a deep breath. ‘Can I ask you something?’

‘If I get to ask you something’ Adam said, unsure of what was going on with Paul.

‘In the theatre you didn’t want to…’ Paul bit his lower lip. ‘Can I hold you?’

Adam was surprised at Paul’s question, as the answer seemed obvious, but didn’t let it face him. ‘Of course’

Paul let out a nervous laugh and scooted closer to Adam on the couch, dragging Adam up in his lap. ‘What did you want to ask?’

Adam kissed Paul on the lips, the kiss only short but full of promises of times to come. Paul was too surprised to answer the kiss, his eyes big when Adam withdrew from the kiss but smiling like he never had before. ‘I wanted to ask if I could give you another kiss.’

Adam’s words made Paul laugh heartedly and the drummer soon enough forgot about his disappointment in the theatre as he kissed Adam deeply. This was definitely better than any awkward theatre cuddling.


	2. Hotel, Apology, Gaycraft (=Football AU)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo works at a hotel bar and meets Adam Anderson, football star in Ajax. Only gen/bromance.

It was a calm night at the hotel, and Theo had an unusual amount of time to spare so he wiped down the bar disk for the third time of the evening. Being a Monday, all the businessmen were clamped into one big lounge table and a family were having dinner at the restaurant part of the hotel. It wasn’t much of a job, waiting tables and making drinks, but Theo had grabbed anything he could get. Living on the dole got boring quite quickly, and he needed money to survive.

A familiar looking man sat down at the disk, ordering a non-alcoholic beer. Theo recognised the man as a guest who had arrived the night before but there was still something else that made him so familiar.

‘You mind if I ask what brings you to Manchester?’ Theo made small talk as he poured the amber drink into a glass.

‘Family. Mum’s turning sixty and has a big party. I’m Adam, by the way.’ The guest introduced himself.

The cogs turned inside Theo’s head and he suddenly realised why the man looked so familiar. ‘Wait, you’re Adam Anderson, right? Our own Mancunian spy in Ajax.’

Adam smiled, ‘Guilty as charged. Can I have my beer now?’

Theo hurried to give the international football player his beer, the drink splashing in the glass and on Adam’s hands. ‘Sorry, sorry’

‘It’s alright’ Adam smiled genuinely, taking the napkins Theo offered. ‘No harm done. You a football fan?’

‘Middlesbrough smoggy all the way. But music’s my main passion.’ Theo confessed.

‘You’re not planning to work at a bar all your life then?’ Adam asked. He was more interested in getting to know other people than being asked the same questions every time he met a fan.

Theo took a look at the room and made sure he wasn’t needed anywhere as he continued to talk with Adam. ‘Nah, but this pays the bills before I can make it big. I used to live on the dole and make music every day but it just wasn’t worth it. It just feels like I’m the only one being serious about following my dreams, you know? The rest of my band couldn’t care less.’

‘Nobody thought I could make it either, yet now I’m playing for one of the biggest teams in Europe. But it took lots of sacrifices; I’m not allowed to drink alcohol or eat crappy food any more and I bet that in five years my knees will be busted beyond repair. It’s brutal out there. What type of music do you play?’ Adam sat back in the bar stool and took a big gulp of his beer.

‘Pop music, but with feeling? Like Depeche Mode or Pet Shop Boys or Prince?’ Theo’s hands waived enthusiastically as he explained his passion to the football player.

‘Wait, I’m not the only guy who likes that type of music?’ Adam was surprised. He had expected something more rock or classical from the neatly styled man. ‘When you get big, I promise to buy your music. Or even now, you have it somewhere I can find it?’

‘I have some stuff online, but we’re playing tomorrow at a club if you’re interested.’ Theo saw Adam nod, so he grabbed a napkin and wrote down the name of the club, his name and his phone number. ‘If you don’t get in, call me.’

‘Cheers’ Adam folded the napkin and put it in his pocket. ‘If you think your band isn’t that enthusiastic, why don’t you dump them and try the TV competitions?’

‘Hear me out tomorrow and then tell me what you think. Who knows, perhaps I’m terrible but don’t realise it myself.’ Theo didn’t want to admit that he had already sent his audition tape to this year’s The Voice and was waiting for an answer from the producers.

‘If you say so. Well if passion matters, you seem to have what it takes to be a star. Dramatic life story and all that.’ Adam felt like he had known the other man for longer than half an hour.

‘Well if a football superstar thinks I might be able to make it then that’s all I need. I think I heard my sister say you were voted most adorable man of the year in the teen magazine she reads. That’s some heavy credentials you’ve got there.’

‘Football superstar isn’t enough for you?’ Adam asked, not minding the jab. ‘You know, if I hadn’t chosen football I might have become a musician instead.’

‘No way. You do music?’ Theo had thought Adam was just another mindless footballer but now his mind had definitely changed.

‘I write some stuff, but I don’t have anyone to play with or to, so it just remains in my drawers.’ Adam admitted.

During the night, Theo managed to get to know Adam even more and they talked about different artists and what type of music they wished to make one day. It was too bad that Adam had to leave after a few drinks as he needed to do his morning work outs before he would be kidnapped by his sisters to buy a present.

The next day, Theo didn’t let himself think about Adam. The footballer had probably only been lonely and in need of company the night before, and would not show up at the club as he surely had better things to do. Theo and his band would be the first to play that night and at 9 o’clock the club was slowly getting packed with people even if it was in the middle of the week. Theo couldn’t spot Adam anywhere, however, and they were ushered back stage to get ready half an hour before their scene time. Instead of worrying, Theo decided to take all his energy out on the stage and make it the best show he had ever done, famous football superstar in the crowd or not.

Theo was high on the feeling of being on stage all night, and at one point he let the music wash over him and the crowd that they had won over after a rocky start. After they finished, the cheers from the crowd felt deafening and Theo felt like he could do anything. Back stage, the band were congratulating each other and Theo was pulled into more hugs than he could remember. The last pair of arms were unfamiliar, and as Theo pulled away he realised it was Adam after all.

‘You are amazing. Dump the band and go for the stars,’ Adam said right into Theo’s ear.

‘You think so?’ Theo felt disgusting, sweaty all over and with smudged eyeliner around his eyes but Adam didn’t seem to care.

‘You’re something else, you know that?’ Adam gave Theo a smug smile. ‘Don’t forget me when you’re famous.’

‘Never. We’ll make music together and you can add that to your portfolio, Mr Adorable’ Theo slung his arm around Adam and felt like he was exactly where he needed to be.


	3. Café, Love Confession, Gaycraft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A beloved café, filled with good memories should be a good place for a love confession, according to Theo. And who wouldn't agree?

’Theo, is something wrong?’ Adam’s inquiry went unnoticed by the distracted singer who was lost in thought. The coffee shop was busy with people running in and out to get their morning lattes, Adam and Theo being one of the handful people occupying tables and eating breakfast. Theo kept on stirring his coffee with his spoon, the sugar already resolved in the black drink some time ago.

Adam leaned over and grabbed Theo’s hand, stopping the movement. ‘Theo, you in there?’

The dark haired man jumped in surprise at the contact. ‘Yeah, Adam’

The guitarist sighed, it wasn’t the first time Theo had spaced out during the last week. ‘Theo, you can stop stirring. You were daydreaming again.’

‘It’s just that I really love this place,’ Theo mumbled as his explanation. ‘We go here all the time. Remember the time we went here after we wrote the record deal and Seth had to shoo us out because they were closing?’

Adam smiled at the memory. Seth, the shop owner, had let them stay longer as they waited for their bus, and there never was a day when the shop owner wouldn’t greet them with a smile from the other side of the counter. ‘Remember that time when we brought the whole band here?’

‘And Seth’s dog fell head over paws for Paul because he kept on feeding her ham from his sandwich?’ Theo sipped his overly sweetened coffee. The dog in question was snoozing in her corner on a dog bed Paul had donated to Seth as an apology for always feeding Marley. Even if it was mainly Theo’s and Adam’s place, the rest of the band often came by if they were in neighbourhood.

‘Poor Marley has gone up in weight ever since then’ Adam couldn’t stop smiling. The small coffee shop held so many good memories. ‘I can’t believe Seth was going to lose this place just a year ago.’

Adam and Theo had refused to let Seth’s shop go bankrupt and had loaned Seth the money he needed to redo the kitchen after it had almost burnt down because of a faulty oven. Theo ripped a piece of his croissant. ‘Well now we get free coffee and got the money back. We couldn’t let the place of our first kiss go lost after all.’

‘You’re a big romantic at heart’ Adam teased. ‘Even if you claim you fall in love every day yet have never told me you love me.’

‘I haven’t?’ Theo asked, his expression oddly dramatic to Adam. Adam had known Theo for almost ten years and they had been dating for a little under a year and the guitarist could usually read his partner like an open book.

‘No you haven’t.’ Adam said, unsure of Theo’s reaction. ‘I know you do, it’s just that you haven’t explicitly said the words “I love you”.’ Adam had said the words a few times in bed but he didn’t mind Theo not saying them. He knew how Theo felt and it was enough.

Theo took a deep breath, taking Adam’s hand in his on the table. ‘Adam David Anderson. I’m sorry for being a bad boyfriend and not being as brave and honest as you are. There’s something I haven’t told you.’

Adam’s eyes widened, worried where Theo’s confession was going. He tried to interrupt, but Theo didn’t let him. ‘You’ve been honest to me ever since we met and instead of hiding your feelings for me, you actually acted on them and we haven’t looked back since. You’re my other half in everything, the other side of my coin and you let me have it when I’ve done something stupid. I just fucking love you with everything I have, you wanker.’

Adam smiled in relief, having already feared something bad had happened. He looked around, making sure they didn’t have and audience, and leaned in for a short peck. ‘You got me worried. I love you too, you wanker.’

Theo leaned back in his chair, a heavy weight having left his shoulders. ‘That’s what I’ve been keeping inside for the last week. I just couldn’t let it out. It’s been on the tip of my tongue all the time, waiting for the perfect time but I just went “screw this”.’

‘That has to be one of the most romantic confessions ever. Cursing me in the same breath, classy’ Adam’s words had no edge to them and filled with adoration to the silly man that was his partner in life.

‘Go big or go home’ Theo smiled over his cup of coffee.


	4. Pet Store, Hand-holding, Pololo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lael has been with his partner for a few months, and the only thing between them is Paul's British Blue, Millie. A pet store is the best place to buy amends.

Lael always followed Paul around like a lost puppy every time they were at Paul’s. No matter how many times Paul tried to explain how to get from one point to another, Liverpool still felt like a maze to Lael. The guitarist somehow always ended up outside of Primark no matter what he did when he tried to orientate in the city even if he had been living part time in Liverpool ever since he got together with Paul.

Now, Paul was taking Lael to a part of town he had never been to, taking the car rather than the bus and parking it outside of a pet store. Paul’s British Blue who ruled his apartment with soft paws, and often invaded Paul’s bed when Lael was sleeping next to his partner, was in need of a new scratch pole after she had wrecked her old one and Paul had grown tired of having to tighten its screws all the time. Paul refused to answer Lael’s question of how many drum skins Millie has destroyed over the years, but Lael guessed it was a high number if the condition of the pole had been any indication.

‘We need a bag of the diet food. Millie’s been lazy lately and it’s showing’ Paul held the door open to Lael and followed the younger man inside. The shop’s assistant, a young Asian man in his late twenties, greeted the two and offered to help them if they had any questions. Paul thanked but told him he’d first browse a little.  
The drummer leaned conspiring over to Lael. ‘Just don’t mention Millie’s weight when she can hear it or I swear she’ll never let me out again.’

Lael had developed a good filter for Paul’s sarcastic humour and was not longer fazed by Paul’s words. ‘Perhaps I will, and we can hole up at your place and she’ll be our fuzzy baby.’

‘Please don’t turn into a crazy cat man.’ Paul steered his steps towards the selection of scratch toys, studying them critically.

‘Do you think one of those can outlast Millie’s destructive force?’ Lael asked, leaving the chose to Paul and taking a closer look at the different cat toys that hung at one of the walls.

‘Depends. The pink one is not sturdy enough’ Paul had excluded the complicated nest-and-scratch pole system immediately. ‘Pink’s not her colour and she could probably claw her way out of that nest in no time.’

‘Uhhuh’ Lael didn’t listen too carefully, distracted by the amount of different toys in all the colours of the rainbow. He hadn’t been planning to buy anything, but was now seriously considering if he should get a pair of Yoda and Chewbacca mice toys to appease Millie as she still hadn’t accepted him as a part of the family after three months.

The shop’s assistant came over to help Paul decide, but Lael was still debating which toy would please Millie the most. It wasn’t until Paul came over and put his hand on Lael’s shoulder that he realised that Paul had already made his choice and the shops assistant was behind the counter again with a bag of diet kibble. ‘You picked one already? If not, she loves those teaser ones’ Paul pointed at the plastic wands with a string and a feather attached.

Lael took Paul’s advice and picked a teaser with a TIE fighter. ‘It was a tie between this one and mouse Yoda. I just hope she’ll stop trying to claw my legs into bloody messes soon, and will destroy this one instead.’

‘She’s just not used to you yet. Don’t worry, she’ll warm up to you. I did and my claws are worse than hers’ Paul took Lael’s hand, the gesture hidden as they were standing with their backs to the cashier.

‘It’s just all so new and she’s been around longer than me.’ Lael admitted. ‘It’s just so ludicrous that I’m stressing about impressing on your cat.’

‘It would be worse if you didn’t care about her at all. You’re one of the most caring people I know.’ Paul gave Lael’s hand an encouraging squeeze. ‘That’s one of the reasons I fell for you.’

‘The cashier’s looking at us’ Lael murmured but didn’t let go of Paul’s hand. ‘Now he’s pretending that reading the food package is extremely interesting.’

‘You don’t mind?’ Paul looked down on their joint hands. He had never been good at reading between the lines, and if he had learnt something from the last three months was that he could always ask about something without Lael minding it.

‘Nah, but it makes walking in a small pet store difficult.’ Lael grinned and let go of Paul’s hand as he ventured to the cash register with the toy he had picked and leaving Paul in a state of surprise.


	5. Bedroom, Cuddling, Gaycraft (=Steampunk AU)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No matter what universe, Theo will always be a clumsy little deer.

The old theatre was an intricate maze, filled with badly lit and seemingly endless corridors. The company could barely afford paying its artists and handymen, and as such the luxury of gas lamps or even candles was the stuff of dreams. Everyone in the circus knew to take a gas light with them when they ventured from living quarters to the stage or the stables. The stables housed more than horses; elephants and tigers from the colonies, cougars imported from the emancipated continent and even deer that pulled the ring master’s cart.

In the corridor along which all the musicians lived, a singer and his accompanist shared quarters. The circus was a community were nothing was frowned upon, and it had offered its shelter to the two men who’d felt like pariahs outside in the prude and smoggy society. Adam, the bespectacled pianist, poured hot water from a big brass pail in the tub to mix it with the cold water he had brought earlier. His partner, Theodore, was watching impatiently from the bed the two men shared. His arm was in a sling; the result of an accident a week earlier when he had led the deer back to their stable and hit his collarbone in the gate after a stumble. This led to Adam being forced to be the caretaker for the moment and working even more than usual, working twice as long in the stables every day to make up for lost workforce.

Adam dried tears of sweat from his brow with his shirtsleeve. The two men were and odd pair in the circus, opting to always wear their best and sewing old clothes to fit them better. ‘Should be suitable by now. Mrs Vines in the kitchen only gave me the water when I told I was taking care of you.’

‘And we all appreciate her and the gruel she cooks. Help me with these ridiculous things’ Theo had tried to unbutton the top of his union suit but found it nearly impossible.

‘Adam, do this. Adam, do that.’ The man pushed his spectacles up on his nose, the steam from the tub already fogging the lenses. He did help Theo with the buttons, carefully minding the injury. ‘You know if I didn’t love you this much you’d be in deep trouble every time you hurt yourself like a deer calf.’

‘I know, I love you too you marvellous man,’ the injured singer assured. ‘At least I can still perform.’

Adam helped his partner to stand up and, once he’d stripped the other man, to sit in the tub. He picked up the sponge and carefully washed his partner. ‘Mind your arm. We can’t afford stuff like this again. The doctor’s wasn’t free, you know.’

‘I know, I know. “We can’t afford new clothes now so we have to wait ‘til next time.”’ Theo mimicked the other man’s voice. ‘At least we have a roof over our heads and a warm bed to share.’

Before the two men had found this particular circus, they had travelled the world together for over five years. They could never stay too long at one place before someone discovered their secret and they had to take the next steam ship to another country. Fortunately, new from the eastern part of the continent travel to the Queen’s islands and the boys could enjoy anonymity when visiting family. It was the singer’s brother who had found this theatre in the capital and suggested it as a more permanent solution to their constant habitation problems. A year later and the two men knew they could never leave the Queen’s capital again, loving the home they now had.

In the privacy of their own room, Adam felt free to kiss his partner on the lips without anyone barging in and accusing them of gross indecency. ‘Head back, going to clean your hair.’

Theo did as he was told and closed his eyes as Adam poured a scoop of water over his head. ‘How can you even see anything with those fogged up specs?’

‘It’s still better than not seeing at all,’ Adam argued. His shirt soon became the victim of Theo’s wickedness as the injured man sploshed water around. ‘You’re repaying my kindness with that?’

‘Get in here. We might actually fit in this monstrosity at the same time and you’re sweatier than me after working all day,’ Theo pointed out.

‘You just want to get your hands on my nude body’ Adam accused his partner as he soaped the other’s hair. ‘As if you didn’t see it every night already’

Theo made an excellent impression of a snobby upper class lady with his disapproving snort. ‘You’re no fun, you know that?’

‘Fine, just let me get you clean first and then I’ll join you.’ Adam was used to his partner being a big kid at times but he didn’t let it matter. Everyone knew that if they wanted the two of them to do something, it was better to talk with Adam than Theo. Theo was always dreaming and there were times Adam had to pull the other man down from the trapeze to stop him from hurting himself once again, both literally and figuratively.

Theo’s mood improved immediately at this, and when his partner finally joined him in the bath he simply leaned back against the hard muscles of Adam’s chest that were the result of hours of hard, physical labour. Times like this the were the only people who existed in their bubble. ‘I feel like the luckiest man in the world.’


	6. Bedroom, Saying Goodbye, Gaycraft

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo needs to leave early in the morning.

The alarm clock woke Theo up, and he shut it as quickly as possible so it wouldn’t wake Adam too. He slipped out from the covers, yawning and running his hands through his hair as he sat up. It was that moment in the morning when he always debated if he should get up or not. The peaceful sight of Adam snoozing away in dreamland on the other side of the bed was awfully tempting him to join under the covers, but Theo had to force himself up.

Theo hit his foot in the living room as he passed the two suitcases that he had packed the night before. He bit his lip to stay silent as he jumped on one foot towards the bathroom door. He had been packing for the last two days and he had only been barely able to shut the big suitcase he was taking with him to the States. The shower felt like a blessing as Theo went through his morning routine. Nothing could wake him up better than the sprays of warm water that rolled over his head and then hitting his shoulders and back. Theo couldn’t resist singing quietly as he rubbed the shampoo into his scalp. He finally began to wake up properly and felt like himself again, even if the clock was barely six and he was definitely not a morning person. Finishing up, Theo brushed his teeth in the shower before stepping out from the glass cubicle. The singer gave his mirror image a grimace, feeling great and like a new man.

Theo’s great mood followed him as he left the steamy bathroom and went to the kitchen to make a quick breakfast before the cab arrived. Contemplating the following week, still wearing only a towel around his hips, Theo suddenly became aware of how much he’d miss the apartment. He had lived with his partner for already a year yet this was the first time either of them left for a longer stay without the other. Theo shovelled the tablespoons of ground coffee into the filter perhaps with more force than needed. It was too late to back out of the trip by now and Theo just had to live with the consequences. He chuckled as he thought about the phone bills he would no doubt have to pay, but speaking with Adam was always worth it.

Unconsciously, Theo out enough ground coffee to make a cup for Adam. An idea struck Theo, and he added enough water to make the coffee just the way Adam liked it. Adam’s taste in coffee was a tad stronger than what Theo preferred, but he didn’t mind Adam’s choice if he added enough milk to mitigate the bitter taste. If there was something Theo had learnt from living together with his long term partner, it was to compromise and Adam waking up happily surprised was worth having milk in his coffee.

Theo was finishing his breakfast, just a toast and ham as he’d eat at the airport again, when Adam waddled to the kitchen. The older man yawned profoundly as he took out his favourite coffee mug from the cupboard. He succeeded o pour the coffee in his mug and take a sip before he suddenly realised his lover was still home and sitting at the table. ‘Mornin’, Theo’

‘Morning. You’re still half asleep, aren’t you?’ Theo left his chair, empty coffee mug in hand and breadcrumbs around his mouth from the toast he’d had. He gave Adam a quick peck on the lips in greeting as he passed by and put the dishes in the sink. ‘Gotta go and get some clothes on before the cab’s here.’

Adam only let out a grunt, still trying to wake himself up with caffeine, even if his eyes were already a bit clearer than before the first sip.

Theo rummaged through the bedroom, trying to locate a missing sock. He had been sure he had laid out the outfit he had prepared for the journey the night before, but now he couldn’t find the last piece of clothing he needed. It took the forgetful man almost twenty minutes to find the missing piece, and by then the cab was to arrive at any minute. Hastily, Theo tied on his shoes and was about to grab his suitcases when Adam already held the handle to one of them.

‘I’ll help you to the elevator’ Adam explained. He had put on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, which Theo hadn’t noticed happening even if he had been in the bedroom all the time. ‘It’ll be the last time I see you for a while.’

Theo sighed at Adam’s sad tone. ‘C’me here you’ Theo said and pulled Adam into a proper hug. ‘I’m gonna miss you like crazy but I promise to call every day, ok? It’s not good-bye, it’s just a see-you-later.’

Adam hummed something in agreement, hugging his partner in silence. He was happy Theo was hugging him instead of seeing him in the eye, as Adam was feeling like a kid when fighting the sadness and the misery he knew would knock on his door when Theo left.

‘Love you’ Theo kissed Adam sweetly on the lips, savouring the moment. Adam tasted bitter like the coffee he insisted on drinking, and for once Theo didn’t mind the taste at all.

‘Love you too’ Adam mumbled back as he pulled away. The clock in the hall already pointed to seven, and it was time for Theo to leave.  
Adam grabbed his keys from the basket next to the door and took the bigger suitcase’s handle. With Adam’s help, Theo managed to squeeze himself inside the elevator between the suitcases.

‘See you in a week!’ Theo shouted as the elevator doors closed and shut Adam out.


End file.
